Boys’ Soccer Goes Through a Transition Year

Coming off of last year’s season record of 14-2-2, the boys’ varsity soccer team pulled through another winning season, with a regular-season record of 9-2-7. Although the team fell short of participating in the NEPSAC tournament, the group of young, talented players completed yet another long season, and team members anticipate an improved performance next fall as they transition from a reconstruction period this season. 

“Out of my four years on the team, unfortunately this was the only year we didn't participate in the Division 1 New England playoffs. Whether it was our young team or an increased level of competition, we weren't able to seize the results we were looking for,” senior co-captain Henry Stevens said. 

Stevens added that an unusual amount of injuries contributed to the team’s reduced performance. 

“Both [co-captain] Stew [Scott] and I were plagued with leg injuries for the majority of the season which didn't help either,” Stevens said. “PGs were dedicated and did their part for the team—until they were diagnosed with a broken knee or a concussion or an ankle problem; injuries hindered us greatly.”

Other team members said that the addition of a group of new and young players influenced the team’s performance, since it took time for all the players to be comfortable around each other. 

“We were much younger this year than we were my upper year. Overall, this season we had fewer guys who played together all four years than last year and more new guys than previous years, and that definitely affected the team chemistry in that we had less time to get acquainted with each others’ playing styles,” senior and goalkeeper Noah Wright said. 

Wright continued and said that because many players were new, the team lacked effective communication, which was problematic. 

“As the team’s starting keeper, one of the challenges this year was the initial lack of effective communication. It was not until the middle of the season until we started to be comfortable with each other. Although we were riddled with injuries, towards the end of the season we had built a strong sense of a unity; we communicated well. We maintained the team’s solidarity until the last game and managed to defeat several schools.” 

Although the team did not make it to the New England playoffs with a comparatively young team, all players agreed that the season’s results were still satisfactory. “For a young team, we did very well this season; we managed to pull through some of our rival opponents,” Wright said. 

Indeed, the season brought a number of unanticipated victories, considering Exeter’s previous records against some schools. 

“St. Paul’s at the beginning of the season—that was a big win. It was our third game of the season and although they ended up doing really well this season, we beat them 2 to 1 in a home game so that was a good way to kick off the season,” upper and center midfielder Sterling Weatherbie said.

In addition to the triumph against St. Paul’s, the team managed to beat eight other schools in total. Team members reflected upon some victories that stood out to them. 

“Our most notable victory was definitely against Deerfield, where we won 1-0. In the past Deerfield has been a challenging opponent, but this year we pulled through,” Wright said. “We also tied Berwick Academy, an all post-graduate team, which was exciting.” 

Upper and left wing Max Rerkpattanapipat added that along with the victories over Deerfield and St. Paul’s, the team’s match against Bridgton Academy was also another highlight of the season. 

“All three of those games came down to the wire and our team showed our true identity in those games. Those games reflected our training, teamwork, and heart,” he said. 

Players attributed another successful season and its victories to the strong team leadership from the seniors, especially from the captains. 

“We had seniors including our captains, Henry and Stew, who put it all on the field for the last season,” Rerkpattanapipat said. “The PGs on our team also provided us with great spark and leadership.”

Weatherbie emphasized that the captains’ leadership was crucial this season.

“This past year we wouldn’t have done as well without our seniors like Henry, Stew, and our PGs, because they did a fantastic job leading the team. I hope I can be as good of a captain as they were; they love soccer and they love winning, a combination that helped bring victories even with a developing team this year.The seniors really put the team on their backs and helped lead.” 

Weatherbie added that the decisive coaching this season also played a key role in aiding the team to develop and grow for the upcoming season. 

“I think that our coaching has stepped up this year,” Weatherbie said. “Coach Cosgrove and Hutchins both put in a lot of work for this upcoming year, and we improved immensely because of their help.” 

Rerkpattanapipat agreed and emphasized the coaches’ contributions to the team. 

“Coach Cos and Coach Hutch bring a very professional atmosphere to the practices and the games. They are extremely organized and have a lot of knowledge about the game. They both have a good sense of humor but are very serious when the time calls for it,” Rerkpattanapipat said. “Both have a very tight relationship with the players. They coach the team well and inspire us to look forward to every game and practice. We owe a lot of our success to Coach Cos and Coach Hutch.”

With only a few more months left until the beginning of another season, returning players anticipated a bright future for the team. Weatherbie, who will be one of the two captains next season, said that the team will be prepared to bring better results next year. 

“Our future’s definitely looking promising. We have some postgraduates coming in next year, and our young guys are all going to be a year older,”  he said. “We are going to focused on further improving our team chemistry and bringing more victories so that we can play in the championship next year, that’s our ultimate goal for our team next season.” 

Stevens agreed and said that the team will be able to accomplish more with the team players growing older and improving everyday. 

“As the team gains experience, results will come. The 2013 season was a transition year, and although we didn't make it as far as we wanted to, we developed,” Stevens said. “Exeter soccer is about perpetual, undying effort, and one day we will reach the top.”